The Pretoria High Court sentenced Petenona Lebele (43) ,dubbed the Tsakane serial rapist , has been sentenced to three life terms and 30 years direct imprisonment. 

Lebele was found guilty of four counts of rape as well as four

counts of kidnapping. These offences were committed against four females, ages

seven, 13, 16, and 32 over 3 years, from January 2017 until August 2019, when

he was arrested.

His first and youngest victim was a seven-year-old

minor. On 19 January 2017, when the minor was on her way to school, she

met with Lebele who called her and told her to come to collect sweets. The

minor refused and started running, however, Lebele caught up with her and

dragged her to the cemetery where he raped her. The accused later raped a

32-year-old woman on 19 August 2019, while she had her two-year-old child on

her back, whom he pushed to the ground and proceeded to rape the mother. 

In court, he pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against

him. In his guilty plea, he told the court that he targeted his victims when

they were on their way to school or home. He also told the court that he would

grab and drag them to the Tsakane cemetery where he raped them.

The state prosecutor Advocate Lawrence Sivhidzho said, "

Rape is traumatic, it does not only affect victims physically but emotionally

too. Lebele targeted defenceless young children and raped them at a

cemetery, a respected place where loved one's are resting. He, therefore,

asked the court to impose a harsh sentence that will send a

message."  

Judge Portia Phahlane agreed with the statement that Lebele

targeted defenceless victims, and that rape was less about sex but about power

and entitlement to women's bodies. 

"Therefore, it is the duty of the court to send a clear

message that such offences will not be tolerated.," judge Phahlane added.

After sentencing, the accused applied for leave to appeal his life sentences

which was opposed by the state and denied by the court.

The court ordered that his name be included in the National Register for Sexual Offenders.